Rack or tray for drinking-glasses and like purposes.



I. C. DARNALL.

RACK 0R TRAY FOR DRINKING GLASSES AND LIKE PURPOSES.

APPLICATION FILED IUNE 26. 1916.

lPatented Api'. 23, 1918.

Pm/ff /A/I/m/ 70p ym f6. WL@ 5W JOHN U. IDARNALL, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

RACK 0R TRAY FOR DRINKING-GLASSES AND LIKE PURPOSES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 23, i918..

Application led .Tune 2G, 1916. Serial No. 106,919.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that l, Jol-1N C. DARNALL, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of 0hio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Racks or Trays for Drinking Glasses and like Purposes, 0f which the following is a specification.

rl`his invention relates to improvements in racks or trays usedin supporting drinkingglasses and the like, especially in connection with the draining thereof after cleansing and rinsing and, also, still more especially in connection with the sterilization or puritication of the inner and outer surfaces of the said glasses and other objects used for drinking or food serving purposes.

The principal object ofv the invention herein is to produce a grated or cross-barred rack or tray in which the bars are each shaped and bent upwardly and are then duly connected together at rightangles so as to form a series of conical, upright, glass-sua porting crossed-members or individual, crossed-pedestals that enter or telescope within the inverted glasses to support them entirely independent of each other and so that the minimum oi' Contact only or the clean inner-surfaces of the glasses and the several adjacent edges of the parts et the pedestals shall be presented to each other in the use of the trays and whereby the chance of lodgment oi any germs or of any germcarrying fluids or substances is reduced to a minimum, and whereby, also, the' proper drying of the glasses without any distinctive or perceptible marks thereon to mar the surfaces thereof is effected, and, iinally, in presenting glasses or tumblers for use that are absolutely clean and in a thoroughly sanitary condition.

The details of structure of my grated rack or tray will be fully hereinafter described and then more particularly pointed out in the Yclaim that follows:

ln the accompanying sheet of drawings, Figure 1 is a plan View of the grated rack or tray embodying my invention herein; Fig. 2, (shown longitudinally of the sheet, for the sake of ample space), a longitudinal elevation; and Fig. 3, a transverse section of the tray taken on the line of one of the l riveted-intersections ot' a double tier of trays erablyref narrow metal bars or strips l and Y 2 that cross each other at right-angles and are of any desired number to suit the vnumber of glasses to be held on the tray. ln Fig. l, however, l have shown but two longitudinal bars l and four transverse bars 2,

they being held together at their several in* tersections by means of rivets 3, and rivets 4 being used at the opposite ends of the bars to secure them to a rectangular, skirting frame-bar 5, the latter being made of the same thin sheet-metal strip-material as that of the crossed bars l and 2 when the racks are to be used in the upper tiers.

Each of the bars l and 2 is bent upwardly at suitable intervals apart into a conical pedestal or crown that is composed of a horizontal or fiat apex 6 that has downwardly-sloping sides 7, the latter being diverted or flexed outwardly at 8 so as to make a definite or a little more decided stop for the flared mouth 9 of the inverted glass l0 telescopically placed thereon. rli`he pairs of sloping sides 7 of adjacent pedestals are connected by the curved bottom-ligaments 7a.

'llhe glass l0 is of the ordinary tapered form with a flaring mouth and, in this instance, is that of the type used at soda fountains in the service of many kinds of beverages where cleanliness is predominant and where glasses must needs be sterilized or otherwise similarly treated :trom a sanitary stand-point and the lodgment of germ prevented.

Each of the glasses is placed in an inverted position so that its mouth shall encompass or telescope the tour upright bars forming an open skeleton frame or supporting pedestal and with but the open mouth oi the glass resting with the least possible contact on said four metal bars of the pedestal, as best shown in F ig. 3. lt is obvious that the glasses need not necessarily be iared, as shown in Fig. 3, but they may be of the ordinary tapered type and not flared at all along the drinking-edge thereof and still such drinking-edge contact at the least degree with the outer faces of the said four metal bars of the pedestal. Such minute contact of the drinking-edge of the glass with the flat bars of the pedestal and with no other part of the glass in Contact with any other object whatever enable's the perfect circulation of hot air or gases, or sterilizing-medium within the glass as well as on its outer face so as to derive a perfectly clean and sanitary drinkingglass.v y

ln F ig. 3 l show the bottom tray as having an open rectangular frame of angleiron sides 11, instead of the light frame-bars 5 of the upper tiers of trays. v The sides 11 are duly connected at their'opposite ends by means of the same material and furnish astili and strong framingsupport for the tray that means a perfect circulation or risingv ofthe drying and sterilizing medium within the chamber orV oven (whose sidewalls 12 and 18 only are shown in said Fig. 8). On the inner .faces of said side-'walls 12 and 131 provide Lfshap'e or angle irons 14 that are duly riveted in place and intended asV guide-ways and supports for the angle-iron inclosing-frame or the bottomv tray. vThe'bottom-tray anda number of tiers of trays carried thereby can be readily handledy lto and from the supports 14 vin Vthe sterilizing process, and said bottomtray is also adapted to be readily handled to and from theY oven for putting it and its tiers of trays in lposition for convenient use.

. The trays may be used in tiers, each Vsupported by the glasses that are on the tray beneath, as 'shown lin F ig. 3, wherein each horizontal apex Gojf the flat, longitudinal bar 1 of the upper tier of pedestals rests upon the dished-bottom '1,5 of the glass beneath and'so thatv contact is reduced to a minimum at that point. The upper tiersof 45 glasses are not mounted on traysV having heavy angle-iron frames, as but one lower supporting-frame is suiiicient, and any desired number of tiers of trays may be supported thereby when it is necessary to place a lgreater or lesser number of them within Copies of this patent may be obtained for the sterilizing-oven and remove them therefrom.

The glasses or tumblers being circular and the metal bars 1 and 2 being fiat, the points of supportingcontact are so slight that no germs can lodge between them, and the sterilization of said glasses or tumblers is per- .t'ected through the said grated pedestals or crowns into and around the said glasses or tumblers, with a free circulation of the hot air or steam at all times.

In Fig. 3 I have shown a straight-sided drinking-glass 10a, mounted in inverted position on the upper pedestal, to the left, such pedestal being the only one in this View to have a delinite or decided stop 8 for the vlip or drinking-edge of the glass. t is in connection with said straight-sided glass that I use said definite or decided stop 8, because, if the sloping sides 7 were not flexed, the said straight-sided glass would have a tendency to be forced upwardly by the resiliency of said sloping sides 7 of the pedestal and be only very slightly supported at the upper edge of each of the sloping sides 7 of the pedestal and liable to topple over. Ordinarily it would not be necessary to Vflex or bend the sloping sides 7 of the pedestals for the flared .glasses shown in said view.

The rack is especially useful when removed with its contents from the sterilizer and placed on the customary drain-board or the like in position for handling the said JOHN C. DARNALL.

live cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

